Become a great conversationalist overnight.

There’s nothing worse than awkward silence on a date — except, of course, fearing awkward silence on a date. But there’s no reason to get anxious, even if you’re not a natural-born master of conversation. Follow my lead and, with a little preparation, you can literally become a great conversationalist overnight so you can relax and enjoy yourself. First, fill your brain with relevant things to talk about. Pick up a newspaper or go to a news site that highlights a variety of interesting subjects, like the Wall Street Journal. Listen to NPR on the way to work. Expand your perspective. Have an opinion on current events. See current movies or listen to a radio station like Pandora so that you’re introduced to new music. The point is that you don’t need to have a PhD to be smart and interesting. You just have to get yourself in the know! Not only that, experts say up to 80% of communication is body language. So smile, lean forward, uncross your arms. And above all, listen. When you genuinely care about what another person has to say and ask follow-up questions, you are both engaged and engaging. Last, relax. And if there’s an awkward moment, just laugh it off. Your journey to find your perfect match should be fun!